Liberty Dialysis to host open house, Tuesday

By
JR Ortega
March 21, 2011 at 6 p.m.Updated March 20, 2011 at 10:21 p.m.

IF YOU GOWHAT: Liberty Dialysis of Victoria Open House

WHERE: 606 Locust Avenue, Victoria

WHEN: 4 - 7 p.m., Tuesday

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Liberty Dialysis at 361-485-1148

WHAT DO KIDNEYS DO? Regulates the body's fluid levels.

Filters waste and toxins from the blood.

Releases a hormone that regulates blood pressure.

Activates Vitamin D to maintain healthy bones.

Releases a hormone that directs production of red blood cells.

Keeps blood minerals in balance like sodium, phosphorus, potassium.

Source: Liberty Dialysis

Victoria will have a chance to learn more about kidney disease and what Liberty Dialysis, the city's newest center, has to offer.

The center's doors open Tuesday for the open house.

The facility is state of the art and includes flat screen televisions, wireless Internet, massage chairs and a selection of movies for those undergoing dialysis, which can sometimes take several hours.

"I think this open house will be a great opportunity for the folks here to learn about kidney disease," said Dr. Haresh Kumar, a nephrologist at the center.

The center has 16 chairs for its hemodialysis patients. Aside from the hemodialysis, or in-facility dialysis, the center also offers peritoneal dialysis, or at-home dialysis.

The at-home dialysis is something the patient can do themselves and is actually becoming one of the more preferred ways of dialysis, Kumar said.

"It provides a better lifestyle, it gives you a flexibility to your schedule and it's much cheaper than to be on hemodialysis," Kumar said.

Driving back and forth to a center several times a week can become costly, he said.

"When people come to this open house, they can learn about the disease and they can learn how to prevent further progression," he said.